1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and in particular, to radio frequency (RF) electronics.
2. Description of the Related Technology
RF power amplifiers can be used to boost the power of a RF signal having a relatively low power. Thereafter, the boosted RF signal can be used for a variety of purposes, included driving the antenna of a transmitter.
Power amplifiers can be included in mobile phones to amplify a RF signal for transmission. For example, in mobile phones having a time division multiple access (TDMA) architecture, such as those found in Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), and wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) systems, a power amplifier can be used to shift power envelopes up and down within prescribed limits of power versus time. It can be important manage the amplification of a RF signal, as a particular mobile phone can be assigned a transmission time slot for a particular frequency channel. Power amplifiers can be employed to aid in regulating the power level of the RF signal over time, so as to prevent signal interference from transmission during an assigned receive time slot and to reduce power consumption.
There is a need for improved power amplifiers. Furthermore, there is a need for power amplifier systems have reduced power consumption, lower manufacturing cost and enhanced performance.